God's Love: How to Know It And Feel It

OUR Problem With God's Love.

If you’re anything like me, God’s love can be a bit tricky. Even a tad elusive or hard to get to grips with.

We either don’t believe He loves us - all the pain, heartache and suffering doesn’t exactly seem like the work of a loving God - or, intellectually we believe He loves us, we just don’t feel particularly loved - where are all the warm fuzzies, peace and joy?

Or both.

Sound familiar?

Either way, we end up doubting him and his love, believing things like.

I’m different. He doesn’t love me like He loves other, more spiritual people.

I’m not good enough for him to love me..

I’ve screwed up an he’s angry with me.

It’s me, I’m the problem. I’m just not able to feel his love.

So let’s cut straight to it.

This is rubbish; nonsense, bunk-am!

It’s simply not true because God isn't just loving, he is love itself - it’s who he is, by his very nature.

He’s made of the stuff. Love drives his every thought and action. It oozes out of him.

He can’t help it or stop it. Just check out these verses from John if you’re in any doubt.

Jn 3:1, 4:7,8,16,18,19.

God so desperately wants us to know and feel His love but he too has a problem.

HIS Problem With His Love

The nature of love itself means God will never force us to love him in return.

Love not freely given isn’t love but manipulation, so God boldly declares his love for us in the face of our possible rejection.

The good news is that his outpouring of love collides head on with our desire to be and feel loved which means the only thing we need to do is figure out how.

Thankfully, he’s more than happy to help.

The distance from us knowing his love in the gray matter of our brains, to feeling it in the warmth of our hearts, can feel like a chasm of un-scalable width but rest assured, it’s not.

How do I know? Because I've been there, done that and what to show you how you can too,

3 Things to Know AND Feel God's Love.

Try these three things to help this love make that journey. These are things that continually help me not just know I’m loved, but feel it.

PRAY AND ASK HIM TO SHOW YOU

God’s delighted when we come to him in prayer and never more so than when we ask him to help us feel his love.

If you’re thinker, remember, here’s what we know when we pray

We can be confident God hears us.

"It is with confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14 (NIV)

He always answers (think of His answers as being Yes, No, Wait or Guidance).

"He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their plea." Psalm 102:17(NIV)

As we pray we’re changed and more able to discern God's will.

His will is always for us to know how much we are loved so he’s all the more likely to show us!

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Confident God hears you, answers your cries and works inline with his will for you to feel his love, we can begin to watch and listen for it.

When we ask, let’s ask him to speak your language.

Let’s watch and listen in ways we feel most loved.

If you’re logical, look for his love in patterns and order that make sense and bring you calm.
If you’re more creative you’ll more likely find it in creation, music, and art that bring you alive.

However you’re wired, remember, he is faithful, loves you and will show you, so…

EXPECT TO FEEL IT

I know that sounds bonkers but when we have high expectations of God showing us how loved we are, it raises our ability to see and feel it.

If we aren’t looking with expectation, how can we expect to see it or feel it?

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!

I’m always amazed when I feel His love in ways and places I’m least expecting and in ways other than the ways I’ve been told I should find it and feel it.

I expect to feel his love in my quiet time (but often don’t) however, not when I’m picking up dog poop in the garden, yet His love is just as extravagant in both places, in equal measure!

WRITE AND REPEAT HIS WORDS OF LOVE

Imagine reading out loud a love letter you’d received from someone you’d desperately wanted to notice you. Imagine writing it out word for word, one love-filled sentence after another.

Wouldn’t that make you feel so connected to the author, so loved, seen and wanted? How intimate would that be?

Let’s do the same with this love letter we have from God; his word. Here’s a love letter from God to you, written entirely in scripture for you to read, listen to, and write out.

As you copy out these words of love and repeat them over and over, ask yourself what they mean to you personally?

How is God showing you His love through these words?
How might you allow the doubts and rubbish be swept away to make room for this extraordinary love?

To make all this super easy for yourself, download this FREE Love Letter From God including an audio download for you to listen and re-listen to whether you're sitting quietly or picking up dog poop!

God's Love: How to Know It And Feel It